Coupler mechanism



Oct. 2, 1934. E. P. KINNE COUPLER MECHANISM Filed Nov; 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 2, 1934. E. P. KINNE COUPLER MECHANISM Filed NOV. 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 2,- 1934 COUPLER MECHANISM Edmund P. Kinne, Alliance, Ohio, assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 21,

1927, Serial No. 234,571

19 Claims. (Cl. 213-467) This invention pertains to coupler mechanism, and more particularly to means for operating the coupler from the side of a car.

An object of the invention is to improve the operation of couplers, and more particularly the standard A. R. A. coupler, in a manner whereby the coupler can always be operated positively and easily through the medium of the uncoupling rod.

Another object is to provide a simple, reliable,

efiicient and inexpensive coupler operating mechanism having cooperating parts whereby a maximum operating force may be transmitted to the lock for facilitating Still another obj the operation of the coupler. ect is to provide a coupler operating mechanism which may be applied to existing couplers as well as to be incorporated with specially adapted couplers, by which mechanism it is possible to multiply the force applied to the operating rod by at least three-to-one.

A further object is to provide coupler operating mechanism which will fulfill all requirements of service and manufacture and in which the operating handle will always seek a vertical position so that there will be no tendency to disrupt the parts nor to have any interference between the relative movements of the coupled cars or cooperating parts.

hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the device and wherein like, reference characters are used to designate like parts Figure 1 is a front elevation of a coupler and operating rod embodying the invention as applied to a car;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan of the coupler and operating mechanism therefor of Fig.v

l of the drawings;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the operating handle illustrated in Figure 1, showing the jointed connection between said handle and the operating rod;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation through the rod near the coupler, showing the parts in locked position;

Figure 4 is a sec tional elevation through the rod near the coupler, showing the parts in unlocked or knuckle throw position;

Figure 5 is a rear View of the cap and swinging support for the operating rod;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the cap for'the operating rod;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a modified form of the coupler and operating device applied to the car;

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the rod near the coupler of the modification shown in Figure 7, showing the parts in locked position;

Figure 9 is a sectional View through the rod near the coupler of the modification shown in Figure 7, showing the parts in unlocked or knuckle throw position;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the rod support of the modification shown in Figure 7;

Figure his a plan view of still another modification of the coupler and operating device as applied to a car;

Figure 12 is a front elevation of the modification of the coupler and operating device illustrated in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary side elevation of the operating device illustrated in Figure 11;

Figure 14 is a sectional view of the device illustrated in Figure 11, the same being taken through the rod near the coupler, showing the parts in knuckle throw position;

Figure 15 is a sectional view of the rotating motion reversing arrangement, showing the parts in position for lifting the coupler lock;

Figure 16 is a sectional view of the motion reversing arrangement, showing the parts in position for throwing the coupler knuckle; and

, Figure 17 is a perspective of the rod support adapted to be associated with a coupler.

Referring first of all to the modification of the device shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the car end sill 30 may have applied thereto the usual push pole pockets 31 and an A. R. A. Type D coupler 32, together with its usual associated mechanism. 1 This coupler is of the top lift type and is provided with a lock lifter 33 preferably constructed with its front and rear sides parallel in order to adapt it for straight vertical movement in the lifter hole. A cap 34 may be provided having a hole 35 corresponding to the coupler lifter hole and through which the lifter 33 may pass in order to maintain the cap in position upon the coupler head. The cap is provided with suitable shoulders 36 on either side and adjacent the hole 35, said shoulders being provided with trunnions 3'? adapted to support a swing support 38, which support may be in the form of a link having an open eye or slot 39 for engaging the trunnion 37 and a closed eye 40 for supportingly engaging the operating rod 41, which rod is bent at 42 and rebent at 43 in order to provide a hook portion for engagement with an aperture 44 provided in the lifter 33. The'hook forming portions of the rod 41 will then be. disposed between the eye 40 and a shoulder 45 formed upon the support in order to prevent the hook portion from moving sideways out of the lifter eye either when the mechanism is being operated or when the coupler is being moved during service, so that a side motion of the coupler will move the rod through its side supporting bracket 46, it being understood that clearance is left between this bracket and the rod operating handle 47. This handle may be joined as by eye portions 48 and 49 provided on the handle and} the operating rod 41, such a joint permitting the handle 47 to drop to a vertical position upon its release after the coupler has been operated to knuckle throw or lock set position, and said handle will remain in this position until the cou pler is operated to be locked again. It will be seen that the handle 47 is so secured to the oper- In operation then, assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, that is, in coupler lock position, it is only necessary to pull the handle 47 in an upward position, causing the shaft 41 to move in a counterclockwise direction, iulcruming the shaft 41 and the member 38 respectively about the member 38 and the trunnions 37 to thereby move the lifter to the rest or knuckle throw position illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Figures '7 to 10, as before, the end sill 30 is shown provided with the push pole pockets 31 and coupler 32, the coupler being provided with a lifter 33, this lifter being curved in such a manner as to permit its eye 44 to follow in the are described by rotation of the operating rod 51 without binding the lifter hole, it being understood that the support 52 which rests upon the top of the coupler head, is provided with a hole 53 portion 58 passing through the eye 44 of the lifter 33 and rotatably supported by the arms 54 and 55 in the aperture and slot 56 and 5'7. As before, the side bracket 46 is spaced from the rod handle 59 to accommodate side movement of the rod, it being understood that a jointed handle, as already described at 4'7, may be provided in place of this integral handle 59.

It will be seen that the form of the support 52 isof such nature as allows a ready assembly of the parts of the device, so that in operation it is only necessary to move the handle 59 upwardly in a counterclockwise direction to thereby move the lifter from its locked position, shown in Figure 8, to unlocked or knuckle throw position, shown in Figure 9.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 11 to 17, the coupler 32 is provided as before with the lifter 78 so positioned that the eye 74 engages lower level of the top of the coupler head. The

operating rod 76 is slightly knuckled in order to provide an easy movement in the holes 80 and is bent and provided with a return portion 75, as already explained, engaging the hole 74 provided in the'lifter '73. As the rod 7 6 is trunnioned ahead of the lifter, the resulting direction of movement at the handle end or" the rod is opposite to that of the present general standard operating device handles. So, in order to reverse this movement and produce a movement of the operating rod handle in a counterclockwise direction, a device 82 isprovided to accommodate this motion. This device consists essentially of a casing 83 in which are journaled upper andlower members 84 and 85, ahandle 86 of which may be conveniently applied or made integral with the lower member. Member 84 may be described as-a bellcrank, the arms 87 and 88 of which may be of substantial camshape. The lower member is provided with teeth or cams 89, 90 and 91, of such character and so positioned as to have cooperating engagement with the arms 87 and 88 of the upper member.

A further function of this device 82 is to reduce the rotative movement of the handle 86 to less than the rotative movement of the operating rod 76, and this is accomplished without reduction of the leverage to start lifting the lock or throwing the knuckle, this being very important as it has been found that considerable force is required to start lifting the lock of the D coupler, but after the lock is started, considerably less force is required to continue raising it to lock set position.

In the operation'of the device then, in locked position the handle 86 is in a vertical position, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. In order to unlock the device, the handle is moved in a counterclockwise direction, causing the member 90 to engage member 87 to move the bellcrank 84 in a clockwise direction, rotating the rod 76 in a clockwise direction through the loose or eye connection 92-, thereby raising the lifter upwardly to the position illustrated in Figure 14. In locking the coupler, the handle 86 is moved in a clockwise direction, shoulder 90 engaging the arm 88 to move the bellcrank in a counterclockwise direction to a point where a shoulder or stop 98 on the handle 86 may engage with the stop 94 on the device housing, in which position the lifter is in lowered and locked position, as illustrated in Figure 13. So it will be noticed that during continuattion' of the lock lifting motion, the lever arm of contact of the driving member is lengthened (arms 90 and 87 of Figure 15), resulting in a greater rotation of the operating rod than rotation of the handle.

In this manner, one of the faults of the present operating device, wherein a large proportion of handle travel is consumed in simply lifting the lock, is corrected.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be I claim:

1. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head, a lifter for operating said coupler, a fulcrum member disposed on said coupler head and positioned by said lifter, and a member fulcrumed to said fulcrum member and directly connected to said lifter for operating said lifter.

2. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head, a lifter for operating said coupler, fixed and movable fulcrum members associated with said coupler head, one of said members being positioned by said lifter, and means carried by one of said fulcrum members and directly connected to said lifter for operating said lifter.

3. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head, a lifter for operating said coupler, fixed and movable fulcrum members associated with said coupler head, said fixed fulcrum member being positioned by said lifter, and means carried by one of said fulcrum members and directly connected to said lifter for operating said lifter.

l. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head, a lifter for operating said coupler,

' fixed and movable fulcrum members associated with said coupler head, one of said members being positioned by said lifter, and means carried by said movable fulcrum member and directly connected to said lifter for operating said lifter.

5. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head, a lifter for operating said coupler, fixed and movable fulcrum members associated with said coupler head, said fixed fulcrum member eing positioned by said lifter, and means carried by said movable fulcrum member and directly connected to said lifter for operating said lifter.

6. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a lock lifter adapted to operate coupler operating mechanism, a fulcrum member supported by said coupler and positioned by said lifter, an uncoupling rod fulcrumed on said fulcrum member and connected to said lifter for operation thereof.

'7. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a lock lifter adapted to operate coupler operating mechanism, a fulcrum member supported by said coupler, said fulcrum member including an apertured base portion for engagement with said coupler, said base being provided with spaced upstanding arms disposed on each side of said aperture, said aperture being adapted to be aligned with the lifter whereby said lifter extends through said aperture and between said arms, an uncoupling rod fulcrumed on said arms and connected to said lifter for operation thereof.

8. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler having a lifter, a fulcrum member superposed on said coupler and positioned by said lifter, operating means for said lifter fulcrumed to said fulcrum member, said means having a connection to said lifter permitting relative movement between said coupler and said operating means.

9. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a lock lifter adapted to operate coupler operating mechanism, a fulcrum member supported by said coupler, said fulcrum member including an apertured base portion engaging with the coupler, said base being provided with spaced upstanding arms disposed on each side of said aperture, said aperture being aligned with the lifter whereby said lifter extends through said aperture and be-- tween said arms, said arms being provided with trunnions, a movable fulcrum member pivoted on said trunnions, an uncoupling rod fulcrumed on said movable fulcrum member and secured to said lifter for operation thereof.

10. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a knuckle, a lock lifter for operating said knuckle, a fulcrum member supported by said coupler and positioned by said lifter, an uncoupling rod fulcrumed on said fulcrum member between said lifter and said knuckle and connected to said lifter for operation thereof.

11. A fulcrum member for the uncoupling rod of coupler operating mechanism including a base portion apertured to receive a coupler lifter, an arm disposed adjacent said aperture for pivotally supporting said rod.

12. A fulcrum member for the uncoupling rod of coupler operating mechanism including a base portion apertured to receive a coupler lifter, a pair of arms disposed adjacent and on opposite sides of said aperture for pivotally supporting said rod.

13. Afulcrum member for the uncoupling rod of coupler operating mechanism including a base portion apertured to receive a coupler lifter, a pair of arms disposed adjacent and on opposite sides of said aperture for pivotally supporting said rod, said arms being provided with aligned pivot means disposed to one side of said aperture.

14. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler having a lifter, a fulcrum member disposed on said coupler and positioned by said lifter, and lifter operating means supported by said member.

15. A movable fulcrum member comprising a body portion having spaced arms for pivotal support of said member, an oppositely disposed eye, and a shoulder adjacent said eye for retaining a member carried in said eye.

16. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler having a lifter, a fulcrum member supported by said coupler and swingable through operation of said lifter, and lifter operating means fulcrumed by said member.

17. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler having a lifter, a fulcrum member, a fulcrum member supported by said first named fulcrum member and swingable through operation of said lifter, and lifter operating means fulcrumed by said second named fulcrum member.

18. A device for support of coupler operating means, comprising a fulcrum member having trunnions, and a second fulcrum member supported on said trunnions, said second named fulcrum member having a slot adapted to receive a trunnion whereby the same is releasably supported by said first named fulcrum member.

19. In a railway car, the combination of a coupler provided with a knuckle having a nose portion, a lock lifter for said knuckle, a fulcrum member, an uncoupling rod fulcrumed on said member between said lifter and knuckle nose, and

means including an operating handle movable in an outboard direction in respect to said car for operating said uncoupling rod.

EDMUND P. KINNE.

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